How To Get S*** Done

Imagine this, you get up in the morning. Either still hung over, or had a long day at work, nevertheless, you’re still exhausted. And BAM! You’re hit with this SUPERLONG to-do list for the day. So what do you do? Well since you’re still exhausted you have a few choices for the day. You either:

Go back to bed. (the most popular choice)

THINK about doing the things on your to-do list.

Call your mom to come do the things on your to do list.

No matter what choice you fall under, the result is still the same.

You did absolutely NOTHING today. Most of the time your to-do list is still staring you straight in the face when you put this whole situation on repeat the next morning. And your mother is not going to be doing your laundry forever, now is she?

THE SUPERFANTASTIC CHECKLIST OF “GETTING S*** DONE”

(ironic, isn’t it? Having a to-do list for your to-do list.)

MIT’s. Most Important Tasks. Before you go to sleep the night before, write down the three most important things you need to get done. That way, even if you do absolutely NOTHING for the rest of the day, at least you still will have had a pretty productive day.

Big Rocks. Set time aside every week (say Wednesday’s, for example?) to make progress on those big projects that are stuck on your to-do list like gum on the bottom of a shoe.

Wake Up Earlier. Not typically a popular one on the list, but you would be surprised how adding an hour to your day before everyone starts impeding on your day will change your to-do list from a week’s work, into a few days time.

Brainstorming. The act of writing down your ideas without filtering or censoring yourself. Using a mindmap is a big help. Start with your most concerning idea and then branch off from there. Don’t worry if you totally crash and burn, you don’t have to follow through with your ideas as long as you get them out of your head.

Eat The Frog. Yummy, right? But by doing your most unpleasant task first thing, your day can only get better.

Slow Down. Make time for yourself and don’t rush your projects. Make sure everything gets done, and gets done right.

Handle Everything Once. Don’t set aside things to “do them later” because you know you’re not going to.

Tune Out. Create a privacy zone by using your headphones and putting your phone in a different room, just for a few hours, you honestly won’t die, contrary to popular belief.

Gap Time. Have a list of 5 minute things that you can do while waiting for the bus, standing in line, or waiting for a meeting to start. Those 5 minute jobs add up to a pretty productive day.

TO DON’T LIST. This one I believe is optional. But by writing down your bad habits that make you unproductive, such as playing computer games, or doodling, getting things done will go much quicker, then you can beat that new highscore without worrying about your upcoming deadlines.